A new wildfire known as the Grand Park 2 fire is burning on the west side of the Cascades, right next to Mount Rainier in Washington state. Fire crews and officials have been watching the blaze closely as it grows.
Because of the fire, the National Park Service has closed Route 410 to Sunrise and to the White River area. The closures cut off access to some of the most popular parts of Mount Rainier National Park.
The fire was first spotted around midday, when it was estimated at about 50 acres. At that point it was a relatively small blaze in a remote, forested area.
It then grew quickly. By 11 p.m. that same day, the Grand Park 2 fire had quadrupled in size to roughly 200 acres, a sharp jump in just a matter of hours.
According to official reports, 24 homes and businesses were threatened by the flames as the fire expanded. The threat prompted close monitoring of the area around the blaze.
Crews have struggled to keep a clear eye on the fire because there are few cameras trained on it. By Saturday morning, the view of the fire appeared to be worsening as it continued to burn.
The Grand Park 2 fire is one of numerous wildfires burning across Washington this summer. Officials have described the west-side fire as less threatening than the much larger fires on the east side of the state, where red flag warnings remain in effect.